


Not Like The Movies

by slrandomperson



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Basilton is a Dumb Bitch, Canon Compliant, Dev is a marshmallow, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Role Reversal, Simon's in love with Baz everybody, Watford Seventh Year, niall is not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 13:57:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20408905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slrandomperson/pseuds/slrandomperson
Summary: "Have you ever been watching a movie and seen the bad guys and been like, 'Shit, that's us'? Like, over the summer I was watching Harry Potter, right? And I was like. Fuck. That's us. Draco and the other ones." Dev looks at me. "You're Draco."I roll my eyes. "Okay, yeah, so? We're the bad guys. I know that.""But, like. We're not the bad guys, necessarily. Draco isn't Voldemort—he's just a kid. So I was thinking. What if we're supposed to have some kind of redemption arc? And everybody knows Draco and Harry are totally meant for each other."Niall, thankfully, comes to my rescue. "Baz is as likely to fall in love with Simon as Simon is to fall in love with him. And there's no way Simon Snow, who hates Baz more than anything in the whole world, could possibly be in love with Baz."I nod in agreement. "Thank you, Niall. The day I fall for Simon bloody Snow is the day pigs fly."◦◦◦◦◦◦In which Simon is in love with Baz, idioms fuck everything up and Dev compares their situation to Harry Potter.





	Not Like The Movies

**Baz**

"Have you ever been watching a movie and seen the bad guys and been like, 'Shit, that's us'?"

Niall starts laughing and I just quirk an eyebrow. "How do you mean?" I ask. 

We're sitting in the dining hall. I wish we had gone back up to my room instead of going to dinner because, frankly, I'm tired of Snow looking at me. It's hard enough to eat when people are nearby, let alone staring me down across the dining hall. 

He seems to think I'm up to something. I wish I could say he's not important enough for me to pay any attention to, but sadly, the Families are set on me taking him down. I used to plot his downfall and all that, but in fifth year when he wouldn't give me a moment to myself I realized it wasn't worth it.

Maybe we could have been friends. I chastise myself for that all the time—Snow may be incompetent and quick-tempered and a complete git, but he seems like a good friend. Someone, dare I say,  _likeable_. I wish I would have known that sooner.

Dev continues: "Like, over the summer I was watching Harry Potter, right? And I was like. Fuck. That's us. Draco and the other ones." He looks at me. "You're Draco."

I roll my eyes. "Okay, yeah, so? We're the bad guys. I know that."

"But, like. We're not the _bad_ guys, necessarily. Draco isn't Voldemort. He's just a kid."

Niall cuts a piece off of his steak. "This isn't Harry Potter, Dev."

"Yeah, but." Dev huffs and runs a hand through his hair. "But I was just thinking. What if we're supposed to have some kind of redemption arc?"

I shake my head. "Dev. How could _we_ possibly be redeemed? Besides, I'm destined to kill Snow and all that. Very different from Harry Potter."

"'Bring his fall,' actually," Dev says. "That could mean a lot of things." He snorts. "Who knows? I was watching this video about Harry and Draco and their consistent homoerotic tension. Maybe you and Simon—"

I slam my fist on the table. "Do _not_ finish that sentence," I say, voice low. I hope it terrifies Dev as much as it would anyone else, but he and Niall have this way of not batting an eyelash at my outbursts. It's quite annoying. 

Dev shrugs. "Just saying."

Niall, thankfully, comes to my rescue. "Baz is as likely to fall in love with Simon as Simon is to fall in love with him. And there's no way Simon Snow, who hates Baz more than anything in the whole world, could possibly be in love with Baz."

I nod in agreement. "Thank you, Niall. The day I fall for Simon bloody Snow is the day pigs fly."

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Simon**

"What the fuck is that?" Penny says, interrupting herself.

We had been talking about Baz again—or, at least, I had. But then I felt a jolt, and it was like all my energy just exploded out from my chest. (It didn't feel like going off.) (It was too random and...dry.)

I guess nobody else felt it, though, since Penny was in the middle of telling me that constantly talking about Baz wasn't going to change anything when she looked out the window and was evidently distracted by something.

I twist around in my seat, but I don't see anything. "What? What was it?"

She stands and grabs my arm, dragging me away from my steak dinner and outside where groups of students are all staring up at the sky. I follow their gazes and my eyes fall upon the giant pink pig flapping its wings in the clouds.

"You've got to be kidding me," Baz mutters as he comes up next to me. His minions snicker behind him.

I feel my heart flutter a bit, and I can't help but look away from the flying pig to get another look at Baz. All I do is torture myself, but I can never resist the urge to stare at him.

I figured it out in fifth year. It was right around the time I started dating Agatha, when I realized that the way I felt about her was closer to the way I feel towards Penny or Gareth than Baz. 

It never made any sense to me. He's been nothing but cruel to me, yet I still can't help the fact that I want to kiss him. I want to hold his hand and hear him call me 'love' and stop fighting so uselessly. But instead of trying to figure out what grudge he has against me, I'm just cruel right back to him. Maybe I'm more of a masochist than I thought. It's probably Baz's influence.

Baz sneers at me when he catches me staring, and the sound of Dev and Niall practically cackling with laughter snaps me out of my daze. I clear my throat and shake my head before looking back up at the pig, which is now spraying the courtyard with flames.

Wonderful.

I immediately summon my sword, but as soon as I go to take a step towards the pig, Baz grips my arm and stops me. "Don't kill it, Snow," he hisses, and I wrench my arm away. "Just get it out of here."

"No promises," I say before running right at the pig.

Penny and Baz start casting spells behind me, and the beast suddenly takes a tumble towards the ground. As soon as it's on the grass, I climb on top of its leg and scramble up to its head, raising my swordhigh in the air before plunging it into the pig's neck. It squeals, and before I know it, the monster is off the ground and I'm hanging on by my sword.

"Snow, what the bloody hell is wrong with you?" I hear Baz shout, and I glance at the ground to see him waving me down. He must have spelled his voice to make it carry.

**_"Mayday!"_** he shouts, and suddenly the pig is hurtling towards the courtyard again. "Give me your hand!" Baz says, and I barely have time to register it before he's grabbing my hand and lifting off the ground as the pig regains its composure.

And all I can think about is the fact that Baz Pitch is holding my hand.

He yells at me to help him up, and it takes every ounce of strength I have to pull him up. He basically climbs up me and uses the hand I have wrapped around the hilt of my sword as a foothold, and I let him.

Baz does the considerate thing and helps me up onto the pig's back, and in a moment of weakness and fear, I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in the back of his neck. Luckily, we burst up through the clouds at that moment, so I'm pretty sure nobody saw that.

He just ignores me and starts mumbling something. A spell, I presume.  ** _"When pigs fly."_ **

I don't know what that's supposed to do, since it's not very specific. He repeats it louder this time, but the pig just keeps flying higher.

And I do something I've never done before: I push.

His voice gets louder and I feel him straighten up, muscles probably rippling beautifully under his jumper or something dramatic like that as he holds his wand higher. I squeeze my eyes shut and stay where I am, arms around Baz's waist. I don't want to overwhelm him, so I stop pushing and let him use my magic as he needs it.

** _"When pigs fly," _ ** he repeats.** _"When pigs fly!"_ **

And then suddenly we're falling.

I let go of him and scream in a totally-not-emasculating way as we fall and break through the clouds. Baz looks perfectly calm as usual, though, and just as we're nearing the ground he brings out his wand and says, ** _"Cats always land on their feet."_ **

And then we're safely touching down on the ground, my toes gently reintroducing me to the dirt. Penny runs up to me and starts fussing over my hair and my clothes and making sure I'm okay, but I shake her off and take a step towards Baz.

"Hey, um. I—I just wanted to say, um. Thank you." I've never been good at talking to Baz. He thinks it's because I'm stupid—I know it's because he _makes_ me stupid.

And Baz gives me the cruelest look he can possibly give me. He looks sad, almost. If he had feelings I would believe he's sad. Every time he's glared at me or threatened to kill me, at least I knew he'd stick around to do just that. Now it seems like he wants nothing to do with me. 

"She wasn't going to hurt anyone," he says quietly. "And you made me kill her."

Before I can do anything besides open my mouth, he's already walking off to Mummers House, shoulders slumped and head down. He never looks this dejected. _I did that to him. _

The only other time he's ever looked at me like that was in fifth year when I threatened to tell everyone that he's a vampire. I obviously would never, but he doesn't know that. I was just trying to rile him up so we could fight or so he could punch me or something—whatever I could to just get him to touch me like I wasn't a disease—but it had failed miserably. 

Penny tugs my arm. "Simon. Simon, are you alright?"

It snaps me out of my haze, so I turn around to look at her and try to not seem like I want to go after Baz.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't go off, if that's what you think happened."

She breathes a sigh of relief and wraps me in a hug, so I close my eyes and hug her back. She's the only comfort I have anymore.

"Simon!" I hear a familiar voice shout. "Simon, what happened?"

It's Agatha. She's not running—she would never—but she's making her way towards Penny and I with a worried look marring her pretty features.

"Baz took care of the flying pig," I say.

"The _what_?"

Penny lets go of me and turns to Agatha. "There was a giant flying pig and it took Baz and Simon up into the clouds and then Baz spelled it away so now he's upset. And Simon is finally learning that Baz is human. At least somewhat."

I glare at Penny. "Stop acting like I'm stupid. I know that. Baz is just shit at expressing his emotions."

Agatha sighs and gives me a quick hug, and I smile. After we broke up in sixth year, we've managed to remain friends. It's not like either of us were at fault, necessarily. She just figured out she doesn't want the life that comes along with being with me, and I figured out that I can't just use her to get over Baz. It wouldn't work, anyway.

"I'm going to go paint my nails," Agatha says, turning back to Penny. "Want to join?"

"Actually, I was hoping to make things right between us and them," Penny says, not specifying who the "them" is. It's already pretty clear. "Simon's been miserable ever since Baz and his friends stopped paying attention to him."

I groan. "Penny, come on. We're not letting two more people that hate my guts into my room. One is enough."

She ignores me. "You're welcome to join us," she says to Agatha. 

"As fun as that sounds, my nails have been begging for a manicure. See you guys around." Agatha gives me a pitying smile before heading off to the Cloisters.

I turn to Penny. "You're joking, right? That was just an excuse?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. Go to your room and I'll be up there with Dev and Niall in a few."

"What makes you think they'll listen to you?"

Penny raises an eyebrow and vaguely gestures around herself.

"Okay, fine, good point. But—" I see Miss Possibelf approaching over Penny's shoulder, and I know she's coming to tell me to go see the Mage. "I'll see you."

I run off in the direction of Mummers House before I can even think about how awkward it's going to be when I walk into the room, assuming Baz is still there. 

When I open the door, he's on his way out and I almost run right into him. "Shit, I didn't know you were—"

Baz closes his eyes, and his nostrils flare as he exhales patiently. "Snow, I'm really not in the mood right now."

"Please. Just...hear me out, okay?"

Surprisingly, he relents. I close the door behind me and watch as Baz sits on the edge of his bed to face me. "Go ahead, Snow."

I take a shaky breath and sit on my own mattress, twiddling my thumbs. This is why I don't talk to Baz. He's bloody terrifying. And he makes me so nervous that I can't even think. "I'm sorry." I've never apologized to him—not sincerely, anyway—so the look of pure shock on his face is justified. He doesn't bother to cover it up with his usual sneer or a snide remark. "I didn't mean to make things get out of hand. I'm sorry you had to kill the...the pig thing. Seriously. I am."

Baz is still staring at me, mouth slightly agape before the door opens and he suddenly snaps it shut.

I glance over my shoulder at the door and see Penny marching into our room, Dev and Niall begrudgingly trailing behind her.

Baz jumps to his feet defensively. "You can't be in here," he says to Penny, wand suddenly out and pointed at her. I wonder where he keeps it so that he can access it so quickly.

"Shut up," Penny says before closing the door behind Niall. I have to fight back a laugh. I've only seen Penny talk to Baz like that—she's the only one I know of that's not afraid of his magic.

Baz growls and it does something weird to my stomach. "Bunce, I'm going to give you twenty seconds to explain yourself before I spell you into oblivion."

She sits on my bed, and I watch with interest as Dev and Niall remain standing on either side of Baz. He really must not let anyone on his mattress.

"It's clear that we work well together. Wouldn't you say so?" Penny says, looking directly at Baz. Something tells me she's already had this conversation with Dev and Niall.

"It depends on who you mean by 'we.'" He sends a sneer in my direction, and it takes everything I have not to smile. He's so pretty.

"All five of us. We," she gestures to Dev and Niall, "were all casting spells at that pig today, and you and Simon worked together to get rid of it."

Baz snorts. "I did all the work. Snow just held on and closed his eyes like a toddler."

I remind myself to be patient; I'm trying to get on Baz's good side. "That's true, actually. I just stabbed it."

Penny stares at me with wide eyes. She must not have thought I'd admit to being at fault. "Well. I mean. You're Simon. You're obviously useful."

"_Obviously_," Niall mockingly cuts in. "What if we use Snow as bait? Maybe let the monsters chew him up a bit before we kill them."

Baz laughs, actually _laughs_, and I almost forget that it's at my expense. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Penny sighs. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"No, wait." It's Dev. He's mostly been chewing on his nails up until this point. "Penelope is right."

Niall shoots him a glare. "You do realize that they're the _enemy_, right?"

"The Humdrum is the enemy, actually," Dev says, raising an eyebrow—must be a Grimm thing—at Niall. "Like Voldemort, remember?"

I shake my head. "I'm lost. Voldemort?"

Baz sneers at me. "You're always lost. Dev's saying we should stop fighting because the true enemy is the Humdrum. Which is ridiculous, by the way," he says with a glare. 

"But that's just it," Penny cuts in. "Dev is right. What's going on between you and Simon is politics, and it doesn't involve either of you. You don't have to fight, no matter what the Mage or the Families say. It's your decision." She's looking at Baz.

"Doesn't this seem like a conversation for Baz and the Chosen One? You know. _Alone_?" Niall says through gritted teeth, and I wonder how he manages to seem more like a Grimm or a Pitch than Dev and, on occasion, Baz. (He has his good moments sometimes.) (Niall never does.)

"It's not like this is going to work, anyway." Baz crosses his arms and stares down at Penny. "It's you and Dev versus the rest of us. I doubt Snow would want to ignore the Mage's wishes, for what? So we could be 'friends' for a little while? Unlikely."

"Actually, I'd like to be friends with you, Baz." It just kind of slips out, but I don't regret saying it. It's the truth. I know that, realistically, I will never get anything more. But if Baz is willing to, I'd want to be friends. It's never too late to try. 

He stares at me like he did after I apologized earlier. He seems to snap out of it rather quickly, though. "Snow." Baz's voice is low and smooth and I want to hear him call me Simon. "Can we talk?"

And all of a sudden I'm being yanked into the bathroom.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Baz**

I don't know what to believe anymore.

Snow must be trying to push my buttons. Somehow, he knows I regret listening to the Families and going after him in first year. He knows that even though I hate him, he has managed to make me like him, too.

Bloody hell.

"What do you think you're saying?" I hiss at him as soon as I've shut the door behind us.

Snow crosses his arms defensively. "The truth."

I sneer. "You seriously want to be _friends_? With _me_?"

"I mean, yeah...," he mumbles, looking like he regrets his decision to say so out loud.

_Please don't regret this, Snow._

I slam him against the door because I _need_ him to regret it. I need him to take it back so that there's no chance we become friends and then he decides he doesn't like me and leaves me to the dust. "You don't even know who I am, you _twit_."

I've got a hand fisted in the collar of Snow's jumper, and he's staring up at me with these wide eyes, lips slightly parted. I can feel his breath. It smells like cinnamon, which makes no sense. He must put cinnamon on his steak. Snow has the strangest eating habits I've ever seen.

Despite the fact that I'm giving him my most terrifying glare, he licks his bottom lip and I try not to track the motion. He's so bloody beautiful that it's annoying. "You've got something." Snow reaches up to hold the side of my face and brushes his thumb over the corner of my mouth, and I can't bring myself to move a centimetre. "Hm. Must just be a shadow."

I draw in a breath, and it comes out annoyingly shaky. It takes a moment before I remember myself and jerk backwards, hands firmly clenched into fists at my sides. The first thing I think is, _Why is no one scared of me anymore?_ First Dev and Niall were desensitized, then Penny started sassing me, and now this.

The second thing I think is,  _Snow wants to be friends with me. _

My gut reaction is to tell him yes, that I've wanted to be friends with him for six bloody years. But I can't seem too desperate, and there's no way the Families would ever allow this.

But on the other hand, I could use this to my advantage. Beat Snow at his own game if that's what he's playing at here. Learn things about him. Make him weak.

Realistically, I know that he will win. I could never hurt him, and I hate him for it. I'll just have to tell the Families I'm digging for information, assuming they catch wind of this whole 'friendship' thing. But I know that I'm just giving into my own inner desire to be friends with Simon bloody Snow.

I don't self-indulge often, but in this case I think it's warranted.

"Fine," I say with as much venom as I can muster. "You want to be friends with me? Fine. But you're going to have to pick up how this whole thing works from Dev and Niall, because being friends with me does _not_ mean I'm going to give you gold stars for mucking up spells, Snow."

He laughs, and I hate him just a little bit more. "Wouldn't expect anything more from you, Baz." Snow opens the door and steps back into the room. "Baz and I are friends now!"

I roll my eyes and follow him out to see Bunce, Dev and Niall sitting on his bed. There's no room left on his mattress, and even though his desk is unoccupied, he plops down on my bed.

I sit beside him—on the very end, as far from him as I can get—and raise an expectant eyebrow at the others. Both Dev and Bunce gape at Snow.

"What did you do in that bathroom, deflower him?" Niall asks, gaze trained on Snow, and I would be blushing if I had fed recently.

"_Excuse_ me?" I say, exasperated, but that's when I realize—the bed.

Snow is sitting on my bed.

I try to hide my sudden discomfort because, while I know it's strange that I didn't immediately shout at him to get off my bed, it's even weirder to suddenly realize I shouldn't want him there—I _don't_ want him there.

Luckily for me, Snow just beams. "I told you! We're friends now."

"_I'm_ his friend," Niall snaps. "You don't see me sitting on his bed." He looks at me. "You never let anyone sit on your bed."

Snow shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe we're _best_ friends."

I roll my eyes. "Boys, please. There's enough of me to go around."

Niall glares at me, but I'm completely captivated by the fact that Snow is laughing. Again. And apparently I'm not far enough away from him because he's able to give my knee a friendly pat. It sends a nervous shiver up my spine.

"I just see this as progress," Bunce says. "Even though it's unnaturally fast," she says, giving Snow a look I don't recognize.

He's blushing now, and I can't look away. I've never been in this relatively positive state of mind around him—especially not enough for me to notice the reddening of his cheeks. It's kind of nice. Innocent, almost. It makes me forget to question my sanity and the decision to befriend Snow.

"So are we all in agreement, then?" Dev asks, nervously glancing at Niall, who just looks at me.

I pretend to think about it before sighing. "Fine. I suppose it can't hurt."

Bunce smiles and clasps her hands together. "Perfect."

◦◦◦◦◦◦

"Are you insane?" Niall hisses as soon as Dev disappears into their room. "Are we really fraternizing with the _Chosen One_?"

I give him a dismissive hum. "Don't worry about it. I'm just giving him a false sense of security. We'll have him in no time. I'll be friends with Snow when Hell freezes over."

Niall narrows his eyes at me, and I remember when I used to be as cynical as him. I wonder when I started going soft. (For Snow, of all people.) "Okay. Well. Just don't forget who you are, Baz. The prophecy." He slams the door before I can say anything.

A few years ago, I would have set him ablaze for such a display of disrespect. But at some point I realized that my obsessive talk of Snow was so pitiful that there's no way Niall would take me seriously, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop talking about Snow. I just stopped minding all that much.

Simon Snow turned me into a marshmallow of a person. Go figure.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Simon**

I fall asleep shortly after Baz leaves for the Catacombs. Penny, Dev and Niall had left with him, but I'm assuming none of them will be joining him for his hunt. 

I don't stay asleep for long, however. I wake to the sound of faint rumbling, and I immediately feel my stomach drop. 

"Baz," I whisper, sitting up and throwing my blankets off. Luckily, he's back in bed. "Baz, wake up."

He groans quietly, so I go over to his bed and gently tap his arm. In the blink of an eye, his wand is out and he's pointing it at me, nostrils flared and eyes narrow.

"Aleister _Crowley_, Snow," he gasps, breathing hard. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

I put my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Did you hear that?"

"No, I was _sleeping_."

I motion for him to be quiet, and for a few moments it's just us staring at each other in the moonlight. 

Then a loud roar, and a shadow sweeps over the room.

"_Shit_," he curses before clambering out of bed, and I've never seen Baz clamber. It's shocking.

I rush to the window as he hurriedly gets his shoes on. I have to kind of lean over the windowsill, but I see Penny already out on the Lawn. (She must've found a way to lower the drawbridge.) She's looking up at the sky, and I can't tell if she's looking _at_ something or _for_ something. I don't see anything else besides her.

"Come on," Baz hisses before grabbing my wrist and dragging me out the door. I barely have time to care that I'm not wearing shoes because his touch manages to distract me from everything just short of breathing.

We stop outside what I assume to be Dev and Niall's room by the way Baz is banging on the door. "Wake up, you git," he mutters, mostly to himself. I wonder which one he's referring to. 

The door swings open, and Dev rubs the sleepiness out of his eyes. "What?"

Baz grabs him by the shoulders and yanks him forward. "Wake up Niall and get your arses outside."

I've never seen him so panicked. He's clever, disguising it as anger, but I see right through him. Dev nods, clearly scared fully awake, and Baz doesn't bother closing he door before he's dragging me down the stairs to the first story and out the main doors.

"I can't fucking believe this. Of course it's a Kuraokami. Bloody hell." He keeps muttering to himself, and I'm afraid to ask what that is.

When the moonlight hits his pale skin, I try not to make a comment on it. Instead I say, "Baz, wait."

He stops immediately, which surprises me. "What?"

I gently tug him closer. "Can you please just tell me what's going on?"

Baz stares down at me, and I don't recognize the look in his eyes. Finally, he takes my other hand in his and squeezes. "I think...I think this might be partially my fault."

I'm kind of lost in the fact that Baz is holding both of my hands. "What? How?"

I hear another roar, and suddenly a column of ice shoots down towards the football pitch from over the roof of Mummers House. Baz drops both of my hands and starts running over to where Penny is now furiously casting spells. 

At least it's an ice monster. Maybe Baz will be able to set it on fire.

I immediately write off the idea as I follow Dev and Niall, who have just gotten outside, over to join the rest of the group. Baz doesn't kill things unless he has a good reason to. He won't be intentionally setting anything on fire tonight.

A giant blue and white dragon is flying out over the Lawn, spewing ice and frost out over the grass. Some of the students and faculty have been woken up by the noise and are watching from doorways and windows.

**_"If ice can burn!"_** Baz shouts, and that seems to be the spell that does it. It looks like it pains him to say it. He doesn't want to hurt it, but he knows he has to.

The dragon lets out a screech and changes direction, flying over the inner gates and right at Baz with a new fury in its eyes.

I'm completely and utterly overwhelmed.

I can feel it all starting to bubble to the surface, every ounce of magic I have contained in me. I try so hard to block everything out. I try so hard not to think about that giant ice dragon—Kuray-o-whatever—or the fact that I'm probably going to kill everyone here one day or the fact that Baz looks bloody gorgeous or the fact that he's _walking towards me right now._

And suddenly I'm staring into his wonderful grey eyes. "Snow."

"Stay away from me," I whimper, entire body trembling as I take a step back. "I don't want to hurt you."

Baz looks absolutely determined. He grips my shoulders and I feel a jolt of electricity in my spine. "Snow, look at me. Calm down, okay?"

"I–I can't," I whisper, wanting nothing more than to collapse into his arms and cry. I feel tears rolling down my cheeks already. "Baz, please, if I go off on you, I won't know what to do with myself."

He moves his hands up so he's cupping my face, and I wonder if he has any idea that he's torturing me right now. If I just leaned forward half a metre I'd be able to kiss him before killing us both. A happy ending to an awful life. "Simon, _please_. You have to calm down. Breathe. For the school. For Bunce. For me, okay?"

He called me Simon.

That does it. I collapse against him, and he wraps his arms around me. It's completely against all his morals, probably, to do this for me right now, but it's what I need. It's what I need to not explode and take down the entire school with me.

And suddenly, he straightens. Just like he did earlier with the pig. I barely even register the heat of the flames that are erupting into the sky like Baz is a volcano, but later Penny tells me it was brilliant. Enough to scare a Kuraokami away. All I know is that Baz has an arm around my waist and he isn't shoving me away.

When I gain the strength to lift my head, the dragon is just a bluish spot in the sky. I look at Baz, who doesn't seem to realize he's still holding me. He's even prettier up close like this.

"How do you do that, Snow?"

"Do what?" I ask, trying not to make it obvious that I'm staring.

He runs his free hand through his hair like he's self-conscious. "Give me your magic like that."

"I don't know," I say. "I just wanted to help you."

Baz seems to snap out of whatever haze we're both under, looking around to see that everyone's staring at us. He pushes me off of him, and I try not to be hurt. "We...We have to talk about this. Later."

I just stare at him. I can't think of anything to say that can express how much I wish things could be different, but he seems to understand just by looking at me. I still feel the wetness on my face, and I know I look like a mess. "Baz," I say, and it comes out as a whisper.

He glances over at Niall, then back at me.

And then I collapse.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Baz**

He has the most unremarkably blue eyes I've ever seen. 

They're so unremarkably blue, in fact, that the redness stands out against them when he cries.

It's a sight I haven't seen since fourth year, back when my goal was still to make Snow cry. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those days. Things were so much easier back then, when it truly was hatred and nothing else. But now I can't stop thinking about him and what it would be like to be friends with him and sit with him at meals and be close to him and hold his hand...

Not like that. How I was doing it before. A comforting gesture.

When he said my name, the look in his eyes nearly shattered me. I was ready to break down right there. I would have done anything for him in that moment. I had to look away, give myself a reality check, and Niall was a good reminder that I am a Pitch and I have no weaknesses. Especially not stupid boys with curly hair and stupid blue eyes and stupid moles that I'm prophesized to destroy.

But when I looked back at Snow, I knew that I was just lying to myself.

And then he passed out.

I'm currently storming through the halls of Mummers House. The sun is coming up, but that's just a star. Nothing compared to the boy I'm carrying in my arms as the crowd of students that are all now wide awake parts around me.

**_"Make way for the King!"_** I shout for the umpteenth time, and Snow shifts in my arms. It's like he's sleeping rather than unconscious, which is a good sign.

When I make it back up to the room, I slam the door behind me with my foot and spell it locked. Snow mumbles something in his sleep, and I lay him down on his bed.

I cast every healing spell I know even though I'm pretty sure he doesn't need them. Bunce is banging on the door, but I ignore her. "Snow," I say, leaning over him to make sure he's okay. 

A day ago, I would have left him on the ground. I wouldn't have wanted to, but I'd know that I had to. I couldn't let everyone see that I cared what happened to him—I didn't even want to admit it to myself. But now a whole new window of opportunities is open.

He smiles a bit and mutters another incoherent sentence. 

I push his curls off of his forehead so I can place my other hand there. He doesn't seem to be overheating or anything. "Snow, wake up."

He just whimpers a bit and pushes into my hand.

"_Simon_," I say, and his eyes fly open.

Snow gasps in a breath and sits up, so I step away on my side of the room to sit on my own bed. "What happened?" he asks breathlessly.

"You almost went off, and then you passed out." I leave out the part about letting him throw himself all over me in the hope that he's forgotten.

He blushes, and I immediately know that he remembers. "Right. I...I'm sorry. About that whole thing."

I shake my head. "You were about to go off. I'm happy to help you, Snow."

"You are?" he says, eyebrows raising. He swings his legs over the side of the mattress so he can face me. "Because you're the one that pushed me away, remember?"

I fed only a few hours ago, so I feel the blood rise to my cheeks. I know they're pink, and I absolutely hate it. "Everyone was staring at us. What was I supposed to do?"

Snow frowns. "I don't know. Not care? You usually don't."

"Everyone cares what people think, you git," I snarl. "I just don't want people thinking that we're..."

"Friends?"

I roll my eyes. "You know that's not what they thought."

It takes him a moment, but then Snow is blushing too. "Oh," he whispers.

"Yeah. And after I carried you up here..." I sigh and scrub a hand over my face. "Who knows?"

"Wait," Snow says. "After you _what_?"

I sit up straighter to give the illusion that I'm not absolutely horrified at the fact that I just told him what I did. "How else did you think you got up here?"

He stares at me before standing and shuffling over to my bed, giving me a wary look before sitting beside me. I just look straight ahead at the wall and try not to show him how uncomfortable I am as he turns to face me and pulls his legs up underneath him.

Snow places a hand on my shoulder, and my walls come undone. I immediately relax and look over at him, managing to keep my gaze cool and level. "I want to try again."

I raise an eyebrow. "Try what?" I let a small part of me hope that he's going to tell me he wants to try our whole relationship again so we can be friends, but it dies quickly.

"My magic," he says. "Sharing it, I mean."

I nod slowly. "Oh. Okay. Go for it, I suppose."

"No." He shifts so he's sitting more in the middle of the mattress. "Come up here. Facing me."

This boy is going to be the death of me. I sigh and bring my legs up on the bed, scooting over to face him so our knees are almost touching.

He reaches out and takes both of my hands, and already my whole world is spinning.

"I'm going to push, okay? Tell me if it hurts."

"It didn't hurt before," I say, and then I feel that little rush of energy. It's snaking throughout my body like an electrical current, and I feel like I'm getting drunk on Snow's magic. 

He squeezes my hands, and I feel giddy with delight. This is new. I don't exactly hate it yet. "Try a spell, Baz."

I smile. The way he says my name is so pretty. **_"Twinkle, twinkle, little star."_** It's not even a spell and shouldn't do anything, but suddenly we find ourselves surrounded by stars.

Snow looks around in awe, and I can't stop staring at him. He's so bloody gorgeous that no matter what's going on around us, I don't think I'd be able to look away from him.

"I'm gay," I blurt out, and his gaze meets mine. I'm back to blushing, but I can't break eye contact with him now. He's got me captured.

The stars glow a little brighter around us, and he smiles a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, I just—I, um—well—"

Snow laughs again, and it's the prettiest sound I've ever heard. "I don't think you've ever stuttered in front of me, Basilton. It's quite adorable. Humanizing, I think."

I can't help but blush deeper. "Yeah, well. Yeah."

He leans closer, and I can't help but do the same. "You've got the prettiest eyes, Baz." He won't stop saying my name, and it's driving me absolutely crazy.

"Thank you, Snow."

"You called me Simon before."

I raise an eyebrow. "I did no such thing."

The corner of his mouth turns up. "Did so."

"No, I didn't."

Snow slides a hand up my arm, and the circuit is broken. The room reappears around us, but I don't really care at the moment. "Call me Simon again," he whispers, and he's centimetres away. I could lean forward and bury my face in his neck and make him promise to never stop sharing this part of himself with me.

I kind of want to.

But that's when the door flies open and Bunce storms into the room. She must have been trying to unlock it for at least fifteen minutes now.

"Simon, are you okay?" she asks, barely registering the fact that I even exist as she wraps Snow in a hug. His hand slips out of mine as he hugs her back, and I try not to be disappointed. 

"I'm fine, Penny. Baz took care of me." He smiles at me over Penny's shoulder, and all my thoughts turn to mush.

Bunce lets him go and shakes her head. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm fine. Seriously. Go to sleep, okay? I'll see you at breakfast."

When he finally gets Bunce to leave, he looks back at me and laughs awkwardly. "Sorry about her."

"It's fine," I say. "Get off my bed."

Snow looks like a kicked puppy. "What?"

I turn my head away and wave a hand dismissively. "Go to sleep, Snow." I can't believe I let my guard down around him. It's a good thing Bunce came in here and snapped me back into reality. 

Snow says nothing as he gets up and climbs into his bed, and I wiggle under my own blankets before turning over to face the wall. 

Maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe I just crave Snow's touch because he's a bloke in the immediate vicinity and—maybe I should stop kidding myself.

Crowley, I'm actually enjoying being friends with Simon Snow.

The thought renders me sleepless.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Simon**

I just don't understand what I did wrong.

It was so bloody perfect: the way he was holding my hands, that look in his eyes, how close we were...

But I must have read the situation wrong. Of course, Penny came in and kind of ruined the moment, but I was hoping Baz and I could get back to doing whatever we had been doing.

It felt incredible, sharing my magic with him. It felt like falling in love with him all over again. I wonder if he could feel it—if that's why he's suddenly become so cold and distant.

He hasn't spoken to me since last night, but it's still before breakfast so I can't really expect anything else. I finish getting ready and step out of the bathroom, and Baz is fixing his tie in the mirror. I meet his eyes in the reflection and give him a tiny smile. He just looks away.

I turn an embarrassing shade of pink and hurry down to the dining hall as fast as I can. I barely got any sleep; as soon as I sit down across from Penny I feel myself nodding off.

"Simon," she says, gently reaching over the table to shake my shoulder. "Stay awake, alright? You've got classes today."

"I know," I groan. "Baz isn't talking to me and I'm tired and _ugh_. I hate everything."

She gives me a pitying look. "Why isn't he talking to you?"

I drop my forehead to the tabletop. "I don't know. He hates me, Penny. The boy I love hates my guts." That's when I gasp and sit up straight like a steel rod suddenly replaced my spine. "He's gay!" I shout, perhaps a bit too loud.

Penny's eyes go wide as she looks around, and I'm sure a few people nearby heard that. "You're lucky Baz isn't down here yet." She looks back at me. "But he's gay? How do you know?"

"He told me," I say with a satisfied beam. "Last night."

Penny laughs. "Good. Well. I'm glad he told you that, Simon. It seems like a step in the right direction. He trusts you." She glances up over my shoulder and seems a little surprised.

I twist in my seat to see Baz entering the dining hall and walking right towards us.

Immediately panic makes its way into my stomach, sending the butterflies swarming absolutely everywhere. I'm sure I'm gaping at him as he comes to a stop in front of me.

"Good morning, Bunce. Good morning, Mouth-Breather." 

Penny gives him a curt nod, and I shut my mouth. I can't help but smile a little bit. He's _talking_ to me. "Good morning, Sunshine."

He rolls his eyes, but the scowl he pulls doesn't mask his faint blush at all. "I would like to know if you two want to sit with us this morning," Baz offers, gesturing behind him at Dev and Niall, who are sitting at a table across the dining hall.

"Sure," I say immediately. It's been a consistent daydream of mine—sitting with Baz for meals.

Penny kicks my shin under the table, and I try not to make an audible sound. "Give us a moment," she says to Baz. "I was waiting for Simon so I could go get my food, but he just got here, so..."

"No worries," Baz says. "I'll get you something. What would you like?"

Penny looks pleasantly surprised. "Oh, um. Just some waffles will do. And tea, of course." He nods and heads over to get in line.

I frown. "He didn't ask me if I wanted anything."

Penny stares at me. "Basilton Grimm-Pitch just did something kind. With seemingly no ulterior motives. What on Morgana's good Earth is happening?"

She follows me as I stand and head over to Baz's usual table. "I have no idea, but it can't be anything good."

Dev looks up at us as we sit down across from he and Niall, but the latter doesn't even acknowledge us. "Hello," Dev says cautiously.

"Good morning," Penny says, and I awkwardly wave.

I glance over at the place I normally sit, and I realize that from here my table is clearly visible. I always have to look a bit behind me to see Baz, but from where I'm sitting now there would be a clear view of the side of my face, albeit at a bit of an angle.

"That's where Baz sits," Niall says, voice even as he looks up at me. I meet his eyes and see that he's glaring at me, almost the same way Baz used to. (Back before it all just suddenly stopped in the beginning of sixth year.) (Baz was much more terrifying than Niall, though.) (He still is sometimes.)

"Oh, uh, s-sorry," I mutter before shifting over so I'm on the end at the head of the table between Niall and Baz's seat. I miss the comfort of being right beside Penny.

That's when Baz comes back with two plates on one arm and one in his other hand. He sets down a plate of waffles in front of Penny, a dish with a singular piece of bacon in front of himself, and a plate absolutely loaded with breakfast food—a stack of pancakes doused in syrup, three sour cherry scones already buttered just the way I like them, a heaping pile of scrambled eggs, and five little sausages—in front of me. I stare at the plate with wide eyes and hear Baz say something about tea before he's gone again.

I'm still gaping at the plate in front of me when he comes back with utensils and two cups of tea that he sets down in front of Penny and I. She thanks him, and I keep looking at the food.

"If you don't stop staring, Snow, your breakfast is going to get cold." I look up at Baz, who would typically be speaking to me while focusing on something else as if I'm not worth his attention, but he's looking right at me. I feel like I could die any second now. (The universe is being oddly kind to me.)

I manage to splutter my way through a sentence: "This is—Baz, I—how did you—I don't—should I—thank you," I say, exasperated.

"Don't mention it. Seriously. Please don't." He covers his mouth as he nibbles on the bacon, which is weird.

Dev and Penny are talking about something to do with the Magic Words homework, but I pay them no mind. Baz is right here, and why would I pass up the chance to talk to him? "This is exactly what I would get if I went and got it myself."

Baz's blush is so faint that I wonder when the last time he fed was. But I see it. It's there, and that's what matters. "Yeah, well. Yeah."

I bite my lip to try and stop myself from beaming. Baz is never at a loss for words. "Aw, do you pay attention to my eating habits? That's adorable!"

Penny and Dev stop their conversation to stare at me, and Baz shields his face with his hand as he stares down at the table. "Don't make me regret it, Snow," he growls, and I barely hear him.

"It's not a bad thing. I'm just appreciative. Thank you, Basilton."

The bacon disappears behind his hand, and I wish he wouldn't do that. I watch him swallow. "You're welcome, Snow."

I shift my gaze to his tiny, now-empty plate. I want to ask why he's not eating more, but the only thing he hates more than people watching him eat is when people bring it up. So instead of saying anything, I wait for Penny and Dev to resume their conversation before scooping up some scrambled eggs and dumping them on his plate.

Baz glares at me. "What do you think you're doing, Snow?"

"You got me a little too much egg, Baz. Someone's got to eat it."

He glares harder. "That's the exact amount of scrambled eggs you get on your plate every single Thursday morning."

It surprises me that he pays attention to that, but I take the high ground and decide not to embarrass him further. "Maybe I'm not as hungry as usual."

Baz narrows his eyes at me. "You're always hungry. You're like a vacuum. You see food, you eat it."

"Don't make me feed it to you," I warn, lifting both of my eyebrows. "Because I will if I have to."

He gives me a long, cool stare. "Bloody hell, Snow," he mutters before attacking the eggs with his fork and hiding his mouth as he shovels them in.

I smile.

Then I remember what Baz told me.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Baz**

I would never say this to his face, but I'm grateful for Snow's generosity. He had the decency to make it look like he was making me eat instead of letting everyone see how ravenously hungry I am.

And suddenly he's leaning over right next to my ear. "How do you think this is your fault?" he whispers, and I drop my fork. It clatters against the plate. 

"Not now," I hiss, and Snow scoots his chair over so he's sitting more at the corner of the table and our knees are touching.

"You can't possibly think this is your fault." He's still whispering, and it infuriates me.

I turn my head towards him and lower my voice to say, "Don't you always think it is?"

Snow frowns. "Not necessarily. Look, I know you're not the one sending monsters to attack Watford. You love this school too much for that." He knows me too well. 

"Well, obviously. I don't know, it's probably a coincidence."

He tugs his bottom lip between his teeth. "You're the smart one here."

"That doesn't mean I have all the answers."

"It means that you're smart enough to figure things out for yourself." Snow drums his fingers on the knee touching mine, and I feel his fingertips graze my trousers a few times. "Well, most things, at least."

I clear my throat. "So, the Humdrum. It's never sent two things in one night. Do you think these could have been two isolated attacks?"

He slowly walks his fingers over my knee. "Maybe. Or maybe he's getting more persistent."

Snow's hand comes to rest on my leg, and I draw in a shaky breath. When I meet his eyes, his face is significantly closer than I remember it being a moment ago. He bites his lip, and that's what snaps me out of my trance.

I jolt away, and I know I have to be blushing. (As much as I can, at least, having fed over nine hours ago.) "Um. So. Thanks for—for the eggs, or whatever. Um." This can't be happening. I _cannot_ be stumbling over my words because of Simon Snow. "See you guys in class."

I bolt out of the dining hall as fast as I can. He was leaning so close and touching me and giving me food and being so bloody irresistible and I just can't handle it anymore. This just makes me determined to get things back to the way they were before. I knew being friends with Snow was an awful idea.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

When Dev finds me after class, I'm sitting on the bleachers by the football pitch. I like to come here sometimes and try to see what Snow gets out of creepily watching the team practice—I can't find much appeal besides staring at a bunch of sweaty athletes taking their shirts off. But, as one of the usual sweaty athletes, I can't imagine Snow is here for that. Besides, he's straight, as I've overheard him assert so many times.

"You okay, Baz?" Dev asks, sitting beside me. He's always been the kindest of our trio.

I nod. "Of course. Why?"

"You've been staring at the empty pitch for half an hour," he says.

That makes me laugh bitterly. "I'm just getting in the mindset for the fall season."

"You've also been talking to yourself, though. So..."

I raise an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Dev puts his hands up in surrender. "I mean, I totally get it if you're trying to freak Simon out or something, but I think shouting 'bloody hell' that loudly was a bit much."

I narrow my eyes. What on earth is he on about?

"I mean," he continues, "I just thought we were really trying to be friends with Simon."

I have a sneaking suspicion that this was not Dev's idea. I lean forward a bit to look around him, and sure enough, Snow is sitting all the way on the other side of the bleachers, pointedly not looking at us. I sigh. "I see you've been fraternizing with the enemy."

Dev frowns. "We've been over this. Besides, we weren't fraternizing. We were talking, and he expressed his concerns. You were acting kind of...crazy."

I suppose all my thinking about Snow has made me a bit crazy. With my tendency to think out loud when (I think) I'm alone, I can see how I'd come across that way, at least. "I didn't even know he was there."

My cousin reaches out to awkwardly pat my shoulder. We've never been the type for physical affection. "Listen, just...Remember what I said about Voldemort, okay?"

"This isn't some dumb book, Dev," I snap. "This is real life. Things don't just _work out_." 

Dev rolls his eyes. "I'm just trying to help."

"And I'm just trying to be realistic."

It's a long moment before he speaks again. "I get it, Baz, I really do. But don't you want to at least try? It might be fun to be friends with Simon and Penny. I've been talking a lot with Simon, actually, and he seems like a decent bloke. He just wants to stop fighting with you. It seems exhausting." When I don't say anything, he continues: "Just—think about it, okay?"

All I can do is nod. I'll take it into consideration, but that's the most I'm willing to do. 

"I'm off to dinner," Dev says, standing up. "Will we see you there?"

"Not hungry," I answer shortly.

He just gives me a nod and heads down the steps of the bleachers. I pretend to not be supremely jealous of the fact that when he waves at Snow, Snow waves back.

Dev disappears into the Weeping Tower, and that's when my gaze snaps back to Snow. He's looking back at me.

I try not to lose my composure when he gets up and starts in my direction, but suddenly I feel like my tongue is numb and my brain can no longer form coherent sentences. Instead of waiting around to figure out what Snow wants, I get up and walk down the steps as fast as I can without seeming like I care too much. (Which isn't very fast, but I think I've confused him enough to give me a head start.) I know the only person who will be able to talk some sense into me right now is Niall.

I catch him on the path just outside the Weeping Tower. "Niall," I say as calmly as I can. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, of course." I must catch him off guard enough that he forgets to not seem so genuinely concerned for my well-being. Even though he's an arsehole sometimes, Niall does actually care about me. It's nice to have a reminder of that every once in a while.

We move off the path and more into the grass so nobody can eavesdrop on their way into the dining hall. "It's about Snow."

Niall sighs, shoulders slumping a bit. "Yeah, well. What is it?"

I frown. "I know you're tired of him, but it's important, okay? He's mucking up my plan."

Niall quirks an eyebrow. "How?"

"He's making me like being his friend."

I'm met with a brief silence, and then: "That's what you're so worried about?"

I sneer and cross my arms. Niall can be a prick at the worst times. Maybe this is what Snow feels like sometimes. "It's serious, okay? I don't want to like being his friend. I'm supposed to be digging for information, remember?" That wasn't exactly the plan initially, but regardless of the fact that I lied to Niall, I still don't want to let myself indulge too much.

"Baz, you and I both know you were never going to do that in the first place."

I immediately feel my face heat up. "Excuse me?"

Niall rolls his eyes. "Look, I don't care, okay? I don't care that you like Snow or want to be friends with him. But just because you can't see past your feelings doesn't mean _I_ have to like him, too."

I give him the most menacing glare I can possibly muster, and he just glares right back. I wish I could still scare Niall. That would make things so much easier.

Suddenly, I realize that I still can. I have my wand out before I can tell myself this is an awful idea. _ **"Your worst nightmare!"** _

It's a few moments before a rustling comes from the forest, and a bird about a metre-and-a-half tall bursts out of the Wood. It comes sailing right towards Niall, whose eyes flicker with fear before he's curled in on himself and covering his head. The shoebill swoops down towards him, and just as it's about to peck Niall's fingers off...

** _"Gone with the wind!" _ ** I shout, and the bird is swept away into the sky, never to be seen again.

Niall immediately hops back to his feet and gives me the most rage-filled snarl I've ever seen from him.**_ "I don't believe in fairies," _ ** he says, voice irritatingly level as he points his wand at me.

As I feel the waves of his magic wash over me, my anger only grows. I can't believe he would use such an awful, speciesist, _homophobic_ spell on me. My left hand starts to fade out of existence, and I spell it back to normal with a quick, **_"You're cancelled,"_** directed at Niall. (Apparently it's an internet thing.)

And then I lunge at him.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Simon**

I end up at Dev's table again. "I just don't understand what happened. It was like he wanted nothing to do with me."

Dev frowns and reaches over to pat my shoulder. "It's okay, Simon. He's just...strange."

Penny slides into her seat and sets down her tea. "So I was thinking," she begins, "about last night. More specifically, one of the spells Baz used."

I take a bite of my beef sandwich and motion for her to go on.

"Well, I know that some spells have weird restrictions and things, and I've never heard that one he used. 'If ice can burn.' I figured it must've been a full quote, since that's not an entire sentence, and...Simon, it's quite the development."

"Yes, well? What is it?" I ask excitedly, hands gesturing wildly. 

Penny bites her lip. "I don't mean to give you false hope, but...The full quote is, 'If ice can burn, then love and hate can mate.'"

Dev's eyes go wide, and I feel like I'm missing something. "Well? What does that mean?"

Penny gapes at me. "Simon. You _know_ what it means. You're not that thick."

I grumble to myself because apparently I _am_ that thick, but before I can get a straight answer I see the flashes of light outside. I hop to my feet on instinct, running outside as Penny shouts after me.

A storm is brewing, low in the sky and circling around two figures in a standoff. Green lightning flashes in the dark grey clouds, and I wonder what spell can make that happen. Baz would know.

_Baz_.

He and Niall are shouting spells at each other, dodging streaks of red and blue and purple being thrown about. There's a crowd of students I have to push through to get the full view, but they all let me shove through to the front.

"Baz!" I shout, but the chatter of students and the rumbling thunder drowns me out.

Both Baz and Niall must have spelled their voices to hear each other better because I hear the latter say, "Just admit it; you're obsessed with him!"

Baz sends another red blast in Niall's direction. He's thrown to the ground, and Baz screams, "I'll like Snow when you draw blood from stones!" I feel a shock run up my spine, just like last night.

That's when his gaze falls on mine. The whole crowd goes silent, and the lightning fizzles out in a flurry of green sparks. I know I must be a pitiful sight because the people around me start to hurry away. Even Niall quickly runs off towards Mummers House. 

"Snow—" he says, dropping his wand and reaching towards me.

A blast of energy explodes out from my chest, but it seems like only I can sense it. Just like during dinner, right before the pig. And some time after Baz had left for the Catacombs, before the Kuraokami...

But judging by the way Baz stumbled backwards, he could feel it too. I can't bring myself to face the rest of the students right now, so I turn and run off towards the Wavering Wood. It's the only place that will allow me to clear my head.

I can't believe I was so stupid.

The trees fly past me as I run deeper into the forest. How could I have been so blind? Of course Baz doesn't like being my friend. Of course he'd never love me. He's proven time and time again, even since all this truce business began, that I will never be something likeable to him. I'll always be his enemy.

When my vision is eventually too blurry to guide me through the dark, I curl up against a pile of boulders and furiously wipe my eyes. I told myself Baz would never make me cry again. I have to stop lying to myself.

"Simon?" Penny's voice calls from somewhere behind me. She's the only person I want to see right now. I'm more grateful for her right now than I've ever been for anyone in my life.

I shakily manage to get to my feet. "Penny?" I say weakly, turning to look for her. All I see is empty forest.

Her voice again: "Simon, over here!"

"Penny? I don't see you." I climb up on top of the pile of boulders to get a better view of the woods, but she's still nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the stones begin to rumble beneath me. Before I can get my bearings, they roll away from underneath me and stack up on top of one another as I fall to the forest floor. The stones are forming walls around me, and I scream as loudly as I can. Maybe Penny will hear me.

"Simon," dozens of voices say around me. 

"Simon." Penny again. The darkness closes in.

"Si." It's Agatha, sounding disappointed as usual.

"Chosen One." The Mage.

"Snow," Baz's voice snarls, and I feel my magic building again. It's like I'm about to boil over, and truthfully it's a comforting feeling. More familiar than whatever happened before with Baz.

My magic explodes, washing over the boulders around me and sending them flying in all directions. I gasp for air and scramble to my feet, sprinting off in the direction I came from. I allow the tears to fall again, letting out audible sobs as I run through the trees. A branch snags on my sleeve and tears through the fabric, as well as my skin.

I just keep getting kicked while I'm down.

I don't know when I break out of the treeline, but eventually I'm on the ground in the middle of the courtyard. Penny's voice sounds distant and almost like it's underwater. I know I can't trust that voice anymore—what if it's not her? What if I'm being tricked again?

I can't stop crying.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Baz**

I should have kept my mouth shut.

The grounds are completely silent. Everyone's waiting for something to happen; I don't think anybody knows what.

There's a cracking sound coming from the Wood, like the branches are snapping. I see Snow first: sprinting out of the trees with a crazed look in his eyes that I can see from a hundred feet away. I immediately start towards him, but that's when I see the trees practically parting like the Red Sea. 

A loud roar echoes across the courtyard as the treeline splits, and a huge monster made of stone bursts out onto the pathway. I glance back at Snow, and Bunce has made her way over to him. He's practically convulsing on the ground, swiping at her and clearly trying to get her to go away. I figure that he can wait a few moments—after all, I can't apologize to him if we're all dead.

I don't have much time to think logically, so I pull a Snow and just run straight at the thing. It moves rather slowly, but i's heading straight for Snow so I know I have to distract it.

** _"The way the cookie crumbles!" _ ** I point my wand at the creature and the stones break apart and fall to the ground. I take this as my opportunity to switch direction and run up beside Bunce, who's kneeling beside Snow on the ground.

She looks up over her shoulder to glare at me. "Get away from him, Baz," she spits. "Haven't you done enough?"

I open my mouth to speak, but that's when I hear the rumbling behind me. I turn just in time to see the boulders rolling back together and stacking up into the familiar form of the rock monster. It lets out another low roar, sending dust clouds up into the air over the paved courtyard.

"Shit," I mutter. Bloody hell, how do I _kill_ this thing? I think back to what I said earlier: 'draw blood from stones.'

That's it. Of course.

I turn back to Snow and crouch beside him. "I need your sword."

He's clutching Bunce's arm with one hand and swatting at her with the other. It's like he can't decide if he wants her to leave or stay. Snow turns his wide, glossy eyes on me. "N-No," he whispers, shaking his head. "It doesn't t-t-trust you."

The monster is only a few hundred feet away now. "Please, Snow. We don't have much time. Just trust me, okay? I know I've been an arsehole, but I want to help you. Please." I reach out and cup the side of his face, wiping a tear away with my thumb.

The ground shakes with the creature's footsteps drawing near as Snow's stupid blue eyes shine with tears in the setting sun. He mutters something so quietly that I can't hear it, but it must be the incantation because the Sword of Mages appears at his side. 

"Thank you," I say softly before taking the sword and standing to raise it high above my head just as the monster is bringing its fist down on us.

Stone collides with blade, and a deafening _boom!_ echoes across the courtyard. I'm forced to close my eyes when dust and debris explode from the point of impact, and it has to be a full twenty seconds before I'm able to open them again.

The creature is a pile of rocks in front of me, all except for one still impaled on Snow's sword. Slowly running down the shimmering blade is thick red blood trickling from the stone. I can't believe my theory was right.

I drop the blade and stumble back a bit, watching the rocks disintegrate. "Baz!" Dev's muffled voice calls, and I turn to see him standing a few feet away. He, along with the rest of my surroundings, looks kind of blurry and tinted violet.

"Baz," Bunce's voice shakily says from behind me. I fall to my knees and turn my head to look at her and Snow, suddenly exhausted. "How are you doing that?"

When I catch my breath and regain my composure, I finally get what's happening. A purple bubble is shimmering around myself, Bunce and Snow; there's a hole where my hand had been gripping the sword. The dusty remains of the boulder monster lay on the outside of the shield. This shouldn't be possible. There's no spell for this. The bubble ripples as Dev beats his fists against it.

"That's not me," I say quietly, shuffling over to Snow's side. "Hey, Snow, are you alright?" I take the side of his face in my hand again. "Simon."

His eyes fly open and the shield disappears. "Baz?" he says, voice barely a whisper.

I can't help but smile. "Hey. We're okay now. Just breathe."

Snow smiles back at me and leans into my touch. "I had no choice, Basilton." He's mimicking my posh accent, and I roll my eyes. The smile doesn't fade. "The thingy woulda' crushed you."

I laugh softly. "Eloquent as ever, Snow."

"You called me Simon," he says before closing his eyes.

"I did no such thing."

He sits up and scoots back a bit. My hand falls from his face. "You definitely did. Where's Penny?"

I glance up and see that at some point during our conversation, Bunce had run off to hurriedly explain to Dev what happened. Niall is going over to join them.

Snow follows my gaze. "Oh. Hey, um. Thank you. For saving us. I guess the Sword of Mages trusts you too."

"That's an actual thing?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were dicking around."

He laughs quietly and pats my cheek. "Nope. It's a good thing you're not actually evil or that sword would have probably killed you." Then Snow hops up and runs over to Bunce, who greets him with what I assume is a bone-crushing hug. 

Dev looks over at me, and I meet his eyes before heading in his and Niall's direction. They split off from Penny and Simon's random display of platonic affection so we can talk privately.

Niall refuses to look at me, even when I'm right in front of him. "Hi," I say.

"Hey." Dev looks back and forth between Niall and I. "That was really cool, what you did back there. With the sword and stuff."

I give my cousin a lopsided smile. "Thanks."

Niall shoots Dev a look. "Can you give us a moment?"

He nods wordlessly and heads off to the dining hall, I'm assuming to finish up his dinner. I turn back to Niall and make sure to keep my expression completely blank.

"So."

"So?" I say, raising an eyebrow. He finally looks at me.

Niall purses his lips. "Are you going to apologize? You used the nightmare spell. That's bordering on illegal."

I sneer. "Yeah, well, I'd be sorry if you didn't call me a fairy."

He winces and looks away. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that. It was totally uncalled for and I regretted it the moment I said it."

I raise my eyebrows. Niall really apologized to me? "You're forgiven. You're right, anyway. I shouldn't have spelled you."

Niall smiles a bit, and it's the first time I've seen him smile in a long while. "Thank you. But before I can forgive you, I think you owe somebody else an apology." He nods in the direction of Snow and Bunce.

I cringe a bit at the thought that I'd have to remind Snow of what happened since it seemed like he'd forgotten in his exhausted haze. But I suppose, by the way he's looking at me now, that he remembers. "I'll see you," I say to Niall before walking off to where Snow is.

Bunce glances at me and gives him a pat on the shoulder before heading off to the dining hall after Dev and Niall. I make sure to keep a steady pace, walking as coolly as possible as Snow meets my gaze. His eyes are droopy and sad, a look I've never seen on his face before.

"Hello," I say, once again keeping my face expressionless.

The corners of Snow's mouth turn down. "Baz..."

I bite my lip, allowing my façade to falter for a moment. "Are you alright?"

He nods. "Are you?"

"Thanks to you," I say with a half-smile. It's not in my nature to apologize—I don't even know how to go about it.

Snow just gives me another nod. "Right." A brief silence. "So, I think I get what you meant before. About this being your fault. But I think...I think it's mine."

I raise an eyebrow; I know that drives him crazy. "How so?"

Snow looks away and scrapes his toe along the ground. "I think...This is going to sound insane, but I think our magic is connected. Like, I'm pretty sure you keep saying things that could be spells or something, like the stone thing, and then my magic takes that and uses it."

And then all of a sudden I'm wrapping Snow in a hug.

He's frozen for a moment and I'm afraid I've made the wrong move. But then he slides his arms around my waist and presses his face to my neck. "Aleister Crowley, Snow, you're a genius," I whisper.

I feel him laugh a bit. "'m no genius, Baz."

"You've bloody figured it out," I say as he pulls away. Snow is smiling up at me. "_We've_ been summoning these things. They're not from the Humdrum."

He shrugs. "It was a pretty easy connection, I think. But I just don't get how I didn't have to hear what you were saying to react to it. I'm pretty sure the pig and the Kuraokami were us, too. But we weren't even together when I felt it happen."

I hum. "We must be connected psychically somehow. Telepathically. Empathically. Whatever you want to call it." I try my best to think back to the creatures and the spells and everything leading up to this, and—

"'If ice can burn, then love and hate can mate.'" There's no magic in his voice.

I take a step back. "What?"

Snow furrows his eyebrows before looking up at me again. "Baz, why did you cast that spell last night?"

I find that I can't come up with an answer. It was in a final moment of desperation—I know that spell only works if the caster is in love. I wasn't expecting it to work. The question is: does Snow know that?

"I don't know," I say truthfully.

My brain is a flurry. I usually know just what to say and when and how but I have nothing right now. All I can think is: _'I don't know who it is I don't know who it is I don't know I don't I don't.'_

And then he kisses me.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Simon**

I've finally figured it out. I've finally gotten Baz right where I want him.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Baz**

His lips are chapped but his mouth is warm and he's doing this thing with his chin and it takes everything I have to not melt against him.

But then I do, and it feels like everything I've always imagined and more.

And then it hits me: I've imagined this before.

Snow runs his fingers through my hair and I can't hold back a moan. His tongue flicks out over my bottom lip, but then he pulls away. He looks sheepish as he glances down at the ground. "Sorry."

My eyes are wide. "Snow."

He looks up at me again. "You called me Simon before."

I stare at him for a moment before a warm feeling expands in my chest, a smile spreading across my face simultaneously. That's really what he's worried about? It's no wonder I start laughing.

"Crowley, Simon, it's _you_. I can't believe it's you." It took me way too long to realize it. "I'm in love with you."

I grip the collar of his jumper and yank him back into a kiss, parting my lips and happily allowing him to pull me closer with just as much force. I don't even care that people are watching at this point.

"I love you too," he whispers against my mouth. "Have for so long."

I smile wider. "Me too, I think."

He laughs. "Merlin, we're idiots."

"That's all you, love."

Snow rolls his eyes and pecks my cheek. "You're the one who loves me."

"Yeah. That I am, Snow."

"Simon!" he whines.

"On special occasions."

Snow seems to find that satisfactory because he gives me a sunny smile and takes my hand, leading me to the dining hall where practically our whole year is watching us.

I know it's been him the whole time. It's always just been him.

◦◦◦◦◦◦

**Penny**

Simon and Baz just made out in the middle of the courtyard. 

Honestly? I'm not surprised.


End file.
